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One answer to school shootings is right before our face. Over seven school shootings and 500 suicides were prevented because of the real life story of Rachel Joy Scott who was a victim of bullying, depression and the Columbine school shooting. Many remember her as the girl who was targeted and killed for her outspoken Christian faith during the shooting.

The prevented school shootings and suicides come from her father Darrell Scott who runs the Rachel’s Challenge ministry and has personally met the faces and read the letters of thousands of people changed by Rachel Scott’s story and her bestselling diary book. The ministry has reached millions and has gone international.

There is also a 2016 full length feature motion picture on her life called “I am Not Ashamed”.

Why have I not heard about the movie?

At one time the film’s trailer was blacklisted by YouTube. The film drew many critics, one included a group called The Atheist Show, who disliked that Rachel was seen as a religious martyr for her faith and contest the central story. Such groups began a nationwide campaign to flag the You Tube film trailer as inappropriate. As a result, You Tube blocked the video from being shown. The people behind the film told Fox News, “[YouTube] would not give any explanation, no explanation whatsoever, why they… [took it down]…we’ve lost 11 months of being able to use social media freely. We feel it’s an interference with our freedom of expression.”

YouTube at the last minute before the movie’s premier relented and lifted the censorship. By then it was too late. The censorship against “I Am Not Ashamed” was successful in damaging the film’s debut and hurting its reach to young audiences who desperately needed to hear it.

When I heard about this censorship campaign, I went out and bought 10 DVD copies and gave it to any friends I know who had kids. I will not stand by and let censors bully a heroic Christian woman’s story from being told.

I light of school shooting in Florida, we need to showcase this film which has had an amazing impact at preventing suicide and school shootings. Her story matters and resonates with students who also struggle with depression, suicide and bullying.

The mom tells her son that God spoke to her and that he was about to experience something amazing on his trip. That Portland airport scene hints at was to come. The answered prayer turned out to be heroic — so heroic that legendary director Clint Eastwood cancelled the original Hollywood actors and decided to cast the real life heroes in his new film 15:17 to Paris.

My friend Jay Echternach’s story of faithfully loving his wife Debbie, who has early onset dementia, was one of the most read and shared posts on my blog last year. (If you haven’t yet read it, I encourage you to start there so you know more about their journey.)

Legislators return to the Oregon Capitol this week. Already some are seeking to pass a bill which would target dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. House Bill 4135 is scheduled for a hearing and possible work session in the House Health Care Committee at 3:00 pm on February 7th. It is believed this bill will move quickly because there are only 35 days in the 2018 regular session.

After the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52, Eagles Coach Doug Peterson led the Eagles team in the Lord’s Prayer as a moment of thanks and team unity. Coach Peterson stated about his faith, “I can only give the praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity.”